November
Everything you always wanted to know about astronomy

Bruce Dennis is a retired science teacher from Haverling High School.

At nightfall throughout November, you will not be able to see any planets. For a few days, four of the planets will be too close to the Sun's brightness to be seen. However, Saturn will rise in the later evening and reach its highest point just before sunrise. Look in the Southern sky for this view. Mercury will cross the Sun (it'll be directly between the Sun and the Earth) during the day of November 8th. After a week, it'll be visible at dawn. Jupiter and Mars will climb into view by the end of November, very low in the morning sky. Look low in the Southeast.

Venus is on the opposite side of the Sun from the Earth for most of November. For this reason we will be unable to see it, except for the last week of the month when Venus will rise just ahead of the Sun. See if you can spot it.

Saturn will become visible late in the night (after midnight) in the Northeast. It'll climb very high and is the only planet visible. It seems to get darker, getting to the point that we are looking at the rings edge-on, making the reflective area much less. Observe this planet several times during the month. See if you can observe the difference in brightness throughout the month.

Mercury, the smallest planet (now that Pluto isn't in the running) and most pock-marked (because of asteroids which are drawn to the Sun), completes about ? orbit each month. As it transits the Sun, it'll be visible (during the day) on November 8th. Don't look directly at the Sun, but look indirectly by using a pin-hole and a note card. Be sure you have your back to the Sun. See an earlier article about looking at (indirectly) the solar eclipses. The next time this transit takes place will be in 2016. About a week after it transits the Sun, it'll be visible low in the dawn sky. It'll be too dim for the amateur astronomer to see. By November 25th, the planet will brighten and be about 20 degrees from the Sun. With a telescope, you will notice that about 60% of the face is shining. It rises about 1? hours before the Sun. Between November 18th and the first

Week of December, unfortunately, Mercury is not much more than a point of light and is too difficult to see.

Mars will be visible near the end of November, about 45 minutes before Sunrise. Use binoculars and look in the East-southeast just above the horizon. On the 30th, Mars is just below Mercury. At that time, Mars rises about an hour before the Sun. It won't look 'red' because the sky is getting bright an hour before Sunrise. Compared to Mercury, it'll be the bigger and brighter planet.

Jupiter rises about a halfhour before the Sun on November 30th. During the last week of November, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars will all fit behind your hand (at the end of an outstretched arm). By December10th, this will decrease until it reaches an area covered by the pad of your thumb. Jupiter is on the other side of the Sun all month. For this reason, its phase is full. But the best time to take advantage of this fact is during the day. Don't waste your time - unless you have lots of expensive equipment, it'll be nextto impossible to view during the day.

The Leonid Meteor Shower is supposed to reach its peak on November 17th. We might also be treated to a spurt of activity on the 19th at 4:45 AM. Since the new moon is on the 20th, ambient light should not affect our view of the meteors. Go to www.carinasoft.com and skytonight. com and download

the latest Voyager pictures. Happy viewing!